Spirited
by Ice of the Kitsune's Fire
Summary: Nations are falling, someone is after the crown prince's head, and Uchiha Sasuke is an asshole. Sasusaku. Historical Fantasy AU.
1. Chapter 1: Recruitment

A/N: This is a joint fic.

 **SPIRITED**

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* * *

The commanding officer's gaze lazily slid across the recruits, quietly appraising what appeared to be yet another lackluster group.

"The rules are simple," he sighed, scratching his silver head- he had an awful headache… perhaps it was time for him to retire?- and pacing slowly down the rows of men. "You will all fight each other at once in front of Lord Uzumaki, and those who are still standing in the end will be further considered for higher ranks. Under no circumstances are you allowed to kill. Anything else, however…" He paused for dramatic emphasis, giving an amused smile to the nervous men that only seemed more ominous under his mask, "Well, no matter. Any questions?"

A lone, small hand rose from the back of the throng, barely protruding enough to be seen. Kakashi ambled over, curious as to someone who appeared to be much too small for combat would have to say. Perhaps a young, eager boy desperate to prove himself to the royal family had decided to try his luck. His brow furrowed. The boy would certainly be trampled in the initial chaos before even having a chance to run. A shame. He approached.

"Are we permitted to utilize chakra, Captain?"

Ah. He blinked. A young woman, and with soft, pink locks adorning her face and pinned neatly back into a ponytail. Somewhat pale, he noted. A lady? But how had she managed to get hold of soldier robes? The men around her shifted uncomfortably.

"Are you perhaps," Kakashi suggested gently, "lost?"

At that, she stiffened, squaring her shoulders and looking him straight in the eye, steel glinting in the depths of her green stare. "I am not, Captain."

"I see," he replied thoughtfully. Most women did not train to join the ranks of the armies, preferring instead to become healers with the blessing of the spirits, but perhaps she was an exception. It was generally frowned upon, but not completely unheard of… "I see," he repeated, and he backed off, much to her surprise. The strange, pink-haired girl relaxed, her expression confused but colored with determination. If she was here, it was likely that she was the daughter of a prominent family or had somehow proven herself to some other superior, and he was _bored_ , after all. He would let it be.

"For those who can, the use of chakra is indeed permitted." Yes, if she possessed chakra, she must be from a clan. Surely he would have heard of a girl with such an odd hair color, though. Frowning, Kakashi walked past the recruits once more, and climbed a short flight to join the amused prince to spectate. There was an unsettling sparkle in Naruto's eyes as he looked down, and with a sharp command that echoed through the courtyard, signalled the start of the brawl.

As Kakashi expected, the previously composed rows of soldiers immediately exploded into utter anarchy, clouds of dust exploding from the whirlwinds of movement. Already losing interest, he turned to observe the prince, who was leaning forward with uncharacteristic concentration, rocking back and forth in his chair. Behind him, Naruto's bodyguard, one of the famed genius Uchiha brothers, sensed Kakashi's gaze and returned it with equal consideration.

Kakashi turned back to the fray; the girl with the pink hair seemed to have completely vanished.

"It seems we have someone interesting this time around," he commented lightly. The Uchiha merely shrugged, finding no interest in the girl at all, or in what was obviously an amateur fight.

Naruto, on the other hand, suddenly sprang from his seat, leaning over the wooden railings excitedly. "There she is!"

* * *

The moment the prince opened his mouth, Sakura had already located several places for her to properly assess the situation. When the soldiers lunged for each other, she quickly scampered away, channeling energy into her legs just as her grandmother had taught her and diving behind a pillar in the corner of the space so no one could sneak up from behind her. Dozens had already been knocked unconscious, and the dirt was beginning to settle back down as the numbers of fighting men slowly dwindled. She could always wait out the bulk of the fight, she reasoned as she smoothed back a few loose strands of hair, but she was here to prove herself, and that wasn't her style anyway.

A limp form crashed down right next to her, thrown by one of the larger soldiers, groaning as he struggled to right himself. A glance told Sakura that he was already down for the count, but his opponent stalked forward to land another blow. If she waited for him to come to her, she would be both discovered and cornered, which was very much a disadvantage for someone as small as she was. Biting her lip, she held her breath as the man took a few steps closer, channeled chakra into her legs once more, and-!

With quick movements, she swung herself around the pillar, pushing off the ground with an extra burst of energy and heard a satisfying crunch as her foot crushed right into the man's face. He fell over, not expecting such an assault, and she gave him a bonus chakra-infused heel to the abdomen and left him curled up, shaking behind her.

No, she thought to herself with curved lips, she was definitely not lost.

There were now about ten soldiers left of the hundred that the group had started out with, and she could feel her own chakra almost hum in response to theirs as they fought each other. These were the people who had been blessed, the ones that would naturally rise to the top of the ranks because of their abilities, who were gifted with the ability to fight, and she realized with a rush that she was one of them.

They took notice of her immediately as she moved towards them. One- an Uchiha, she could tell, from the fan emblazoned on his uniform- elbowed his dueling partner clean across the gut and sent him flying. Nine left. He drew a quick breath and from his mouth came an explosion of flame. The heat was immediate, and Sakura jumped back, barely avoiding the lick of fire, although one of the others was caught in it. She hesitated, resisting the urge to run to his side and make sure he didn't burn alive, but she knew the other soldiers would immediately attack her the moment she let her guard down. She could not afford to lose this opportunity.

With a stifled sense of relief, she saw the soldier tumble and throw off his robes. Another Uchiha, she realized, and resistant to fire, as she saw he did not seem to bear any burns. One of the men took advantage of his confusion and snapped a fist across the man's face. He collapsed.

Eight left.

A skinnier man rushed her, moving with a nimbleness that matched her own. Sakura waited for him to get close, and just as his arms extended to grab her, ducked to the side and flung his vulnerable form right past her body and sending him crashing into the wall behind her. Seven left. The others had noticed her simple, but effective tactic, and eyed her warily now, something that pleased her immensely. However, they all seemed to be circling around her, and she didn't knew she stand a chance against all of them at once, and chakra-blessed soldiers, no less. She had a dagger in her belt and a few throwing knives, but didn't want to risk fatally injuring any of them, even if they were approaching her with intent to kill. No, she wouldn't resort to weaponry.

The girl took a deep breath, steadying herself, and concentrated on channeling all of her chakra into her right fist, knowing full well that the others could feel her energy gathering and would only be more cautious. Her grandmother had taught her not to do this unless she was absolutely sure she had ample time to properly work her chakra through her veins, but desperate times called for desperate measures. They were coming for her now.

Sakura slammed her fist into the ground.

With a great rumble, the courtyard floor broke open, the earth splitting into chunks that jutted out and toppled her force of her hit blew out from her form, pieces of stone pummeling the soldiers. Huge blankets of dust exploded upwards, clouding the area around her as she let out an exhilarated laugh. The previously clean, tidy courtyard was now in utter ruin. She had done it! Granny Tsunade would be so-

-suddenly, a hand jerked closed around her ponytail and roughly tugged her head back, and Sakura felt the cold metal of a blade pressed to her neck. All joy gone, she was suddenly very still.

"Such pretty hair," the man behind her muttered, and pushed her to the ground with his knee on her back. She didn't dare struggle too much for fear of the dagger sliding too easily into her skin. Forcing her eyes to look behind her, she recognized him as the thin man she had quite literally thrown away, and apparently, hadn't properly finished off. Her mind raced. Her knees were digging into the jagged stone pieces that scattered across the ground, drawing blood. His grip tightened, and her scalp pricked with searing pain.

"Surrender," he commanded. "You have no choice, and besides," he leaned in closer, "the battlefield is no place for a woman."

She took in a sharp breath.

At once, her hand pulled the dagger from her belt and cut her ponytail off in a burst of motion. Pink strands fluttered to the ground.

His hold on her now gone, she pushed herself backwards into his surprised, staggering frame, twisting and grasping his wrist with chakra surging through her fingers. With a snap, the blade fell harmlessly to the ground and the man let out a yelp. She smiled thinly, pointing the dagger at the soldier's jugular and placing her foot square on his groin, her heel kneading down. He whimpered.

"Surrender," she mocked. "The battlefield is no place for a man."

Glaring, he slowly raised his good hand.

She sheathed her dagger, straightening herself and marveling at how much lighter her head felt. She had cut it once before, but the feeling was just as freeing as the first time she had done it. So freeing, in fact, that she almost forgot the waterfall of blood dripping down her leg and the throbbing pain that emanated from her cut. Gritting her teeth, she placed a careful palm over her knee, and gathered her chakra to heal herself. The skin stitched itself together, pushing the dirt from her wound and closing the glaring, raw red until there was nothing left but a slight, pink pucker, and after a moment, even that disappeared.

When Sakura stopped the process, she realized that there was someone beside her, watching her. With a small gasp, she almost fell back. Uzumaki Naruto, heir to the Fire Country throne, was standing by her, looking at her with deep blue, inquisitive eyes.

"Hey," he said easily. "I like your hair."

She stared openly at him, mouth agape, and then remembered what a mess she must be, awkwardly patting down the black robes that were now coated with dirt and gave him a quick, jerky bow. "Um… thank you, your Highness."

"Just Naruto," the blonde grinned cheekily, and to her surprise, dipped his head to her in greeting. "What's your name?"

The commanding officer from the beginning was approaching now, as well as a young man with dark features that she recognized as yet another Uchiha, with the uchiwa fan proudly resting on his chest. The red cloth wrapped around his arm and the leather shoulder pad strapped to his uniform marked him as someone high ranking, and as the prince's personal guard. He was… surprisingly handsome, with dark, slanted features etched into smooth skin. She suddenly felt a little self conscious and shifted her weight onto her other foot, looking away from him.

"Naruto," he murmured in warning, not even glancing at her.

"Haruno Sakura," she said slowly, taken aback by Naruto's interest. "Er, your Highness."

"I'd have remembered someone like you, with that hair of yours," he said with a frown, as if trying to recall her. "The Harunos... " He turned back to the Uchiha with a pout. "Are they one of the noble families…?"

The raven-haired man rolled his eyes. "You should know this already, you moron."

If Sakura was surprised by Naruto's blase nature before, that shock was easily overpowered by the guard's casual insult towards the prince himself.

"No," the captain said, looking at her carefully. "They are not. How did you get in here?"

Her hand instinctively reached back to nervously curl a strand of pink in her finger, but realized that there was nothing where there was normally hair, and knew that the small movement had already betrayed her. The Uchiha and the captain were staring, and she was not good enough a liar to fool them. Naruto looked at her encouragingly- oh, she hadn't the heart to lie to those eyes, anyhow.

"I snuck in," she admitted, feeling equal parts proud and self conscious. "I dressed myself as a man to get past the castle guards and no one questioned me when I entered the barracks."

The Uchiha raised a thin, disbelieving brow. "Is that so? A man with pink hair?" He snorted.

Sakura bristled. "I tied my hair up and hid it under a hat I had… asked to borrow." She didn't mention the light flirting involved with the guard she had 'borrowed' it from.

"You don't look anything like a man, though," Naruto said honestly, and she couldn't suppress the warmth of flattery that lit her chest. Thank the Spirits that he didn't seem to care that she had snuck in. In fact, if anything, he seemed almost impressed. "And you fight better than most men I've ever met." He took a moment to study her eyes carefully and then nodded, as if agreeing with himself, giving her a bright smile.

"Alright, I've decided. You'll be one of my personal guards!"

" _Naruto_ ," the Uchiha hissed, grabbing the prince's shoulder. The Uzumaki shook it off.

"I like her," he said simply. "She's strong, she's smart, and it doesn't hurt that she's pretty." He winked. "That's that."

Sakura was stammering several things at once, tripping over her words, unable to contain her excitement. His personal bodyguard! That was so much better than she had been expecting. "Thank you! Na- um, your High- oh, um, Naruto! Thank you."

The silver-haired captain betrayed no emotion from under his mask, but shook his head slightly. "Naruto, you must admit it is a risk. The Harunos are a family of artisans and merchants and cannot offer you anything if you insist on bringing their a member of their family into the palace. The noble families will not be pleased."

"Okay," Naruto rolled his eyes, face painted with mischief. "Too bad."

With that, the prince turned and walked away, stepping carefully over the huge chunks of debris that Sakura had created, and the captain quickly followed with an exasperated sigh, leaving Sakura to smile stupidly at her turn of fortune.

When she had snuck away from home, she hadn't thought she'd receive much more than a position in the army, which was admittedly more than enough for her. It was thanks to the irritatingly bright, pastel hair that she hated so much that she had caught the prince's attention, and her hard work had done the rest. Sakura was tempted to run home and share her achievement with her family, show that she had proved all of them wrong, but was suddenly struck by her need for a good bath. She smelled of dirt and blood, and loose strands of her hair stuck to her warm, sweaty skin. She was hardly presentable to anyone, much less the prince himself. But he had noticed her! He had really-!

"Well, come on," the Uchiha ordered, clearly unhappy, and her light mood was broken. "Or are you going to stand there like an idiot all day?"

Fixing a scowl on her face that matched his own, she followed the tall man, glaring at the fan that decorated his back the entire way out.

* * *

The water was warm and steaming, and part of Sakura never wanted to leave. Normally she would have lounged in the wooden tub until she turned wrinkly, but her heart was going wild remembering the prince's declaration just an hour ago. She was going to be a personal guard to the _crown prince!_ It felt unreal. She briefly wondered if she was hallucinating, before recalling the condescending look on the Uchiha's face - no, it was definitely real. She felt her eyebrow twitch. Arrogant assholes like him had always ticked her off… especially when they tried to, quote, "put her in her place". She experienced a special relish in lashing back at them. They were half the reason why she had snuck into the tryouts at all, to be honest. Images of her family, pleading, disapproving, popped into her head before she quickly squashed the thought.

She suddenly realized that she was scrubbing her hair with more force than needed and hastily finished washing and shivered as she stepped out of the circular tub, grabbing onto the soft drying cloth provided on the counter. A change of robes was hanging next to the door, and she paused to take in the dark, utilitarian design before putting it on, admiring the clean-cut, unobstructive nature of the garment. Perfect for fighting. It was a little big on her, but the belt secured it well enough. A servant was waiting for her outside the door, and she led Sakura through a dizzying series of hallways and pavilions through the palace.

Sakura hadn't had time to admire the architecture when she had been sneaking in, but the artisan in her appreciated the curved foxes carved into the roofs of the building. Lone foxes stood sentry at every corner of the sloped rooftops, overlooking the courtyard and gardens, occasionally accompanied by swirling fire patterns etched onto the surrounding pillars and floor. Like the Uchiha, the Uzumaki family held an affinity to fire - although their claim to the power was from the legendary nine-tails itself, rather than just a powerful fire spirit. It was the main reason why they had been able to hold onto the throne for so long. His Majesty Minato was rare in that he had not been of the Uzumaki lineage when he ascended the throne; instead, he had married Her Majesty Kushina, who had been the previous bearer of one of the Great Spirits. If the rumors were true, the crown prince was the current bearer of the nine-tails.

She shivered. That much power, contained within a single person… and she didn't even feel any of it leak out during the short conversation she had with the prince earlier. Naruto must be incredibly talented to contain everything, making him appear almost ordinary if not for the sharp gleam in his eyes and royal robes. She supposed that it was because of his bearer status that he had a Uchiha as a guard - if the nine-tails within him were to break free and go on a rampage, the Uchiha were rumored to be able to hypnotize the spirit with their flames for short periods of time… at least, that was what she had overheard her father saying once during a meeting with close associates.

They passed the throne room briefly as the servant took a side path, letting Sakura get a glimpse of the golden throne, wreathed in stylized etchings that mimicked the spread of the Kyuubi's tails. The light smell of incense soothed her nerves, its smoke curling in hypnotic trails around the seat. A beautiful mural stretched across the sides and ceiling of the room, and Sakura barely managed to get a glimpse of it before the servant abruptly turned in a different direction, and she hurried to follow. She wasn't sure, but she thought she recognized the five Great Spirits painted in several hues and thick ink, crawling about the canvas that was the grand room.

The servant entered a longer, well-lit hall that took them outside towards the back of the palace. Sakura took in her surroundings, realizing with some awe that they had arrived at a private training field. The crown prince was sparring with his Uchiha guard, and eyes widened at the display. Naruto was all sass and quick evasion, with an uncanny knack of well-timed bursts of chakra that seemed to be part air and part fire. The Uchiha, on the other hand, intimately reminded her of a flame - quickly flickering from place to place, with a quiet intensity that drew the eye and spoke of barely-contained power. The servant rang a bell to get their attention, and the prince broke into a wide smile when he saw Sakura.

"Hey! About time you got here! The bastard here was starting to get antsy, couldn't even bother to wait a while for a pretty girl." At her stunned expression, he added, "I know, right? What a jerk." As if he hadn't said anything unusual, he happily dismissed the servant, who didn't blink an eye at the scene and left.

Sakura struggled to keep her jaw from dropping. Did he just - did the crown prince just call his guard a _bastard?_ Did he just - did he just blatantly and casually diss the the man's honor? Not to mention the whole _freaking Uchiha bloodline?_ Wars had been started over less, she thought with horror. Spirits above and below, the Fire country was doomed. The prince was going to create a diplomatic disaster.

"You idiot, she looks like she's going to have a heart attack." The dark haired guard suddenly appeared behind the prince, rolling his eyes.

"Oh! Right, you're still not used to this. My bad. Let me introduce His Esteemed Snarkiness," the prince said, point at the Uchiha. "This is Sasuke, Uchiha Sasuke. Sasuke, you've met Sakura." Looking at her pointedly, he cheerfully intoned: "Don't let his His Jerkiness put you off, he's actually kinda nice deep down. Now, since you're gonna be one of my personal guards, we're going to need to train you up a bit. That earth cracking thing you did was super cool, but it'd be best if we get a broader idea of your fighting style and stamina, strengths and weaknesses, all that good stuff. People have been shifty lately and I'm liable to get an assassin sent after me sooner or later, so it'll be good for you to be prepared. Sasuke will be in charge of training you!"

"...Right. I mean, yes, your Highness," she quickly added, mentally berating herself. He spoke so quickly and excitedly that it was difficult to process all at once.

"I told you, call me Naruto, we'll be stuck with each other for 90% of daylight anyway, best to get it out of the way. Took Sasuke _ages_ to get out of that formal shit, it was glorious when he finally cracked, called me a - what was it? - a ridiculous monkey with whiskers, I think. I hope you're a fast adapter, I don't know if I can go through that again."

"Alright then… uh, Naruto." It felt oddly natural.

"Yay, you're learning! Okay Sasuke, she's all yours. Be nice, though, I don't wanna have to sit through another hour watching trainees beat each other up. Have fun! I gotta go, I'm late for training and Kakashi's gonna be pissed. Bye!"

The prince ran off. When he was out of sight, she steeled herself and looked up at Sasuke, deciding to give him another chance.

"So, what are we starting with?"

The next few days were full of lessons: tell-tale signs of spies, a crash course in weapon types and their advantages, how to address nobles and servants, what was expected of her, and lots and lots of sparring.

As it turned out, she was _nowhere_ near Sasuke's level. She had eaten dirt so many times these past few days that she was partially convinced she would be reborn as an earthworm at this rate. But she kept getting back up. This is what she had signed up for, and she wasn't going to quit halfway. She was going to prove her family wrong if it was the last thing she did...plus, there was no better motivator than the sight of Sasuke's condescending face smirking at her from above. Spirits, he pissed her off. Him and his purebred bloodline and damn arrogant smirk. He didn't even seem to be working up a sweat.

Before sparring he usually had her running laps with the rest of the soldiers, who stared and made lewd side comments the entire time. Although it was nothing she wasn't already used to, it still stirred anger, which she used as fuel throughout the day. She was always exhausted by the time she got the the training pit; Sasuke had forbid her from using any chakra to boost herself during the run. Or during the matches afterwards. Apparently her stamina sucked.

Today was different, however. Sasuke had finally decided to test her chakra endurance and skill. A few ground rules, though: no wreaking up the training pit, no lethal intent, and no injuries that would put either party out for more than a day. Fine by her. A nearby servant was cowed into helping them, and they took their places opposite each other.

The instant the servant finished counting off, Sasuke rushed her. _Spirits, he's fast!_ She was forced back as she tried to dodge his punches, shoving chakra energy down her limbs to make them respond faster. Before she knew it, he had crowded her against the fence. She swung at his legs to make him jump back, before driving her own assault. But he evaded her easily, and almost immediately she was back on the defensive. The man was just too fast. She bet he hadn't even tapped into his Blessing yet - he was just playing with her.

Gritting her teeth, she ran the situation through her head. Sasuke had all the advantages. She had the benefit of being tested - he wasn't fighting her seriously. He was too fast for her to hope to land a hit on him, but… she could match him. Maybe. She hadn't really tried boosting her speed outside of short maneuvers, but she was confident in her ability to ration her chakra. She just needed to be fast enough to find an opening.

Setting her plan in motion, she deliberately slowed her movements, as if she couldn't keep up. Sasuke's face twisted in disdain, as he moved closer effortlessly - _now!_ The latent chakra in her limbs spiked as she darted into his guard, gathering chakra into her fist and driving it into his right ribcage. She relished the brief look of surprise on his face as his breath was literally knocked out of him, before he swept a leg under her, unbalancing her and sending her to the dusty ground.

She was up in a second, chakra recoil boosting her up faster than she could blink. Sasuke readied himself from his indent in the fence. The surprise was gone now, his face immobilizing in a mask of focus and fury. He _moved_.

Sakura felt the shift, the hairs on her arms prickling. She darted back, and just in time, as Sasuke flashed to her previous position in an uppercut that would have taken her down. He was serious now - she could almost feel the thrum of chakra as his Blessing took hold, pushing his body past normal breaking points. She only lasted a minute before she was on the ground again, arm twisted behind her, Sasuke's hard knee digging into her back.

"Yield." Sakura suppressed a shiver at the dark voice. She kind of wanted to bite the fingers restraining her head, but instead huffed out a surrender. She was left to pick herself up from the ground. Sasuke looked at her dusty form, and briefly scanned for injuries. He opened his mouth: "How long have you been working on that maneuver?"

"Maneuver?"

"You sped up."

"Oh! Uh, I've used it often enough, I guess, just not for anything longer for a second or two. Maybe a month?"

"I can tell," he intoned dryly. "Your enhanced speed is sufficient for only a few seconds; after that, anyone can spot out your movement patterns. You're not in control of it. You also need to learn how to anticipate your opponent's moves, rather than just reacting to them. You obviously haven't been properly trained."

"What about that punch I gave you then," she sassed back, "does _that_ need work?" He had just insulted granny Tsunade and she kind of wanted to punch him again. He paused for a moment, then:

"A lucky hit. You need to estimate the amount of chakra you put into it better. Though," he paused again, "I suppose you're not completely hopeless."

 _Not completely hopeless? Seriously?!_

He eyed her again, calculating something in the back of his mind.

"You are blessed by the water spirits."

"Just enough to heal," she grumbled back, "Can't summon more than a drop or two of water." He frowned.

"Work on it, no matter how inconsequential. It's important to the nobles. Go get your healing abilities assessed by the head healer. We're done for today."

"What - "

"Your stamina is still terrible, so you will continue running with the troops in the mornings. Follow their training until noon, then meet here for our training. I'll see you tomorrow."

Then just like that, he left. Sakura was seething. _Sasuke's kinda nice deep down_ , the prince had said.

Sakura personally thought he needed to have his head checked.

* * *

The days continued to pass by in a blur, with Sakura slowly getting used to palace life and the vicious training that Sasuke inflicted upon her. Since there weren't any other female soldiers, she was staying in the healers' quarters, and the girls in there tittered and whispered every time they saw her, so she found herself less inclined to speak to them. It didn't matter, anyhow. She didn't look _pretty_ , she had to admit, with all the bruises and scratches that now decorated her body, but she liked to think that the smaller, tailored uniform that matched Sasuke's fit her well. Besides, she was proud that she didn't look demure. Each morning she rose before the other women, put on the layers of cloth that marked her as Naruto's guard, and joined the foot soldiers for their morning runs with a burning tenacity.

The head healer was a kind woman with short, brown hair named Shizune who informed Sakura with some surprise that the rosette appeared to be very capable for a commoner, and that whatever training she had received in her district had taught her exceptional chakra control. (She could practically hear Tsunade preening somewhere back at home). She insisted Sakura join the palace healers, an offer which the girl firmly declined, and then told Sakura that it would be in her best interests to practice healing techniques with her so as to refine her 'natural talent'.

In this way, Sakura found herself rushing back to the healers' quarters every evening to exercise her chakra control, right after sparring with Sasuke, who always made sure to bruise her pride along with her body. Her determination was the only thing that kept her going, even as she realized with some sadness that she was getting a little lonely. Naruto was great, but she didn't see him too often since he was apparently being set up to be engaged, and the other soldiers treated her with a great amount of disdain and perversion. The only other person besides Shizune that she interacted with was Sasuke, and Sasuke was, as Naruto would put it, 'a total bastard'.

Despite that, she could feel herself improving. It wasn't by much, but she could keep up with most of the soldiers the entire time when running, and her body had become more compact and lean. She'd lost a little weight since she didn't often have time to eat, and she never wanted to stick around with the healers for very long during meals. But it was worth it. Her movements were a little faster, she could channel her chakra for longer, and even Shizune showered her with praise. Certainly even the stoic Uchiha Sasuke had to admit she was improving.

She hummed with some satisfaction, rounding the long hallway to meet Sasuke for her training session. That morning's run had been the easiest yet, and her legs weren't as sore as they were before. Sweaty and dirty as she was, she felt great. Today, Sasuke would finally treat her with some respect, she resolved as she approached the training field.

Right before she turned the corner, she heard a voice that made her abruptly stop.

"What were you thinking, bringing her here?" Sasuke's words were almost a growl, deep and vehement. "It's been weeks. She's nothing special. You have countless talented warriors that hail from lines of daimyos and shoguns who would kill to be at your side, who train their entire lives for this kind of opportunity. Instead you bring in this- this _commoner girl_?"

She felt her body lock up and almost stepped out to give him a piece of her mind right then and there. Ironically, for all the nobility running through his veins, he sounded exactly like her commoner father. Her fist clenched, and unclenched again, caught off guard, when she heard a low chuckle.

"Yeah, she's a commoner," Naruto was choking out through laughter. "So what?"

"Like I said," irritation was filtering into Sasuke's voice now. "Her improvement has been nothing short of absolutely average. She's nothing special."

"Oh, but she is." The blonde was wheezing. "Just _look_ at her, would you?"

" _I swear to the Great Spirits, if you brought her in because her hair is_ pink…"

"Not at alll," the crown prince said, suddenly serious, sounding almost affronted. "You're not really looking."

The two men sat in silence for a moment, before Sasuke let out a long sigh.

"Sakura."

She flinched. The angry way her chakra was flaring probably gave her presence away from the very start. With slow, measured steps, she joined the prince and his guard, ashamed she had been caught eavesdropping and furious that Sasuke had the gall to insult her knowing she was listening.

For a long, drawn out moment, the Uchiha didn't say anything, merely turning to look at her, his gaze piercing. Although she was standing above them as they sat leaning against the wooden panels of the building, she felt almost small. Sasuke's presence was overpowering, confident, and loomed over anyone he came into contact with. Sakura straightened her back, looking back defiantly, refusing to be intimidated. He remained silent.

It was really a shame that he was such an awful guy, she thought. He was attractive, with those deep, pooling onyx eyes, and held a certain charisma… at least until he opened his mouth.

To her surprise, he was the one who broke the eye contact. He seemed to have something to say, but chose to fix his glare on Naruto instead, who had watched the exchange slyly.

"What did I tell ya?" The prince sat up, slinging his arms casually over his knees in a rather un-royal position that Sakura noted was very fitting for him. "Do you see what I mean now?"

Truth be told, Sakura had no idea what it was that Naruto claimed she had, and even less of an idea as to why he had chosen her, but she also knew that she wasn't complaining. She had trained hard to get to where she was now, and she was more than grateful that Naruto was inadvertently rewarding her.

"...Hn." The Uchiha closed his eyes. "All I see is a little girl."

Before she could blink, he was gone.

* * *

A/N: A JOINT FIC! We're super excited to post this. Hopefully the change in writing styles wasn't too jarring, but let us know what you think! Reviews encourage us, and we squee over every single one, especially those with constructive critique.


	2. Chapter 2: Festival of the Nine-Tails

**A/N:** Sorry about the late update! We revamped the plot during our hiatus, and we're super excited to write what we've planned. We hope you guys will like it!

 **Disclaimer** : We are also not medical professionals, so any kind of medical treatment specified in this fic is at least 80% made up. Please do not try any of this at home.

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Sakura smiled as she watched the children toss up fall leaves up in the air, dancing underneath the debris as they mimicked the blessing of the nine tails upon the land. She remembered this particular ritual - when she had barely reached her grandmother's hip, Tsunade had often helped Sakura drop the leaves from above. In the palace, she had discovered, servants stood on the rooftops and scattered leaves whenever someone walked by. The younger denizens of the palace often spent the morning running through all of the halls, delighting in the flush of orange, yellow, and red.

Naruto, however, insisted on going to the village to celebrate the festival of the nine-tails. He attended the obligatory events as the bearer of the nine-tails, but until the evening bonfire, he was free to do as he pleased. Apparently Naruto had been doing this for years; he said that the economic prosperity of a village could be easily measured by comparing the extent of the decorations and festivity - the wealthiest patrons brought out gold plated kitsune statues to place at their doors, while a poorer family might have a wooden plaque of a fox hanging near the front entrance. The village they were at this particular day reminded Sakura of her home; full of crisp incense and dried flowers, all wrapped together in warm shades of orange and red. Vendors lined the streets, calling out invitations to inspect their wares and games - Sakura was almost tempted to linger at a stand displaying red and gold charms carved into the likeness of a leaping fox.

She glanced at Sasuke, who had begun to slowly relax after the fifth day of the festival. He had been ridiculously rude and paranoid earlier, glaring at anyone who even looked at Naruto and snapping at Sakura if she wasn't paying attention to her surroundings. After few hours, the prince told Sasuke to "lay off, we're supposed to be inconspicuous, and everyone is staring at your scary face right now." At Sasuke's glare, he amended, "Relax. I have two capable guards with me, including your cranky, paranoid ass, so lighten up!" Easier said than done. But Sasuke seemed to have finally taken the advice. Now, he merely watched the proceedings with one eye, keeping the other centered upon Naruto at all times. Sakura had begun to unconsciously adopt the same methodology when it came to Naruto. The prince seemed to have a knack of disappearing at the most inconvenient times - mostly whenever something interesting caught his eye.

Like now. Naruto had been set upon by a few stray foxes, who seemed to regard him with a mix of both submission and excitement. They ran circles around his feet, yipping loudly. They were beginning to attract bystander's stares, so Naruto simply laughed and followed the flurry of foxes down a hidden corner, where Sakura would have lost him if she hadn't partitioned an eyeball to watch his every move. She and Sasuke followed him at a more sedate pace, and she saw Sasuke's eyes dart around the alleyway, memorizing escape points.

Naruto was now scooping up random foxes and talking to them. They let him touch them without a hiss or scratch, and Sakura surmised that they sensed the nine-tails presence within him, as the stray foxes hadn't been quite as friendly to the other villagers. She smiled as Naruto practically cooed to a baby fox. Sakura thought the scene was adorable, but stiffened in surprise when Sasuke leaned in and quietly told her that the foxes served whoever bore the kyuubi - they were Naruto's subjects as well as scouts - Naruto learned just as much from talking to them as he did visiting the outside villages. By the time Sakura finished absorbing the information, Naruto had already moved onto cuddling the next fox.

"Hey, where's the best place to eat around here? I'm starving." A yip answered him. "Yeah? We'll follow you then, try not to make a scene," he finished the statement with a pat and released the animal, who then scurried out of the alleyway and sat there, blinking at Naruto. Sasuke facepalmed at the sight.

"By the Fires, Naruto, you'd think that you would utilize your advantages a little more effectively."

Naruto merely ignored him and winked at Sakura. "Please, as if finding food wasn't a sacred and time-honored tradition. Loosen up, Sasuke, and let us follow our guide!"

The fox quickly led them through the crowded area, waiting impatiently as the three humans stumbled clumsily through the crowd. Dodging the drunk villagers had her weaving in and out unsteadily, almost causing her to lose her headscarf to a low-hanging tree branch. She discreetly looked around to make sure no one caught her pink hair peeking out from under it- it'd be bad if her family found out, as they lived in a village across the river. She hadn't heard of any requests to find a pink haired woman yet, but she knew it was only a matter of time. Her family was probably trying to keep her disappearance a secret as long as they could to avoid scandal. She made a mental note to start wearing her headscarf in public, or just dye her hair outright...come to think of it, this was an issue she needed to talk to Naruto about if she ever wanted her family to stay out of her business.

Sakura broke out of her musings just as they reached a ramen stand emblazoned with the word "Ichiraku" across it. Naruto gave the fox a pat on the head and ordered three bowls on the spot, plucking a fair amount of his own pork slices to give to their furry guide.

After tasting the broth, Naruto immediately ordered three extra noodle orders. Sakura struggled not to snort as she watched Naruto splash broth all over his face while inhaling his noodles. If she didn't know him, she'd sooner classify him as an enthusiastic vagrant than a prince. Sasuke, on the other hand, looked elegant even in the faded red robe he had worn to blend in with the populace. He ate his food in small, sizeable bites, tilting his chopsticks at an angle that screamed nobility to anyone who looked closely enough. He exuded confidence in his mannerisms - so much that Sakura couldn't help but feel a little jealous. As his mouth closed over an egg in the broth, she was suddenly struck with the thought that Sasuke could easily seduce any woman in this village. He was remarkably good looking, moreso than most any other noble she had met- objectively speaking, of course. And it didn't change the fact that he was a rude jerk.

Sighing, Sakura went back discretely observing the crowd, her hands drifting lazily over her hip where her knives were. She hoped Sasuke finished eating soon so she could switch out with him.

* * *

After eating, Naruto spent an exorbitant amount of time visiting stalls and talking to different people. Sasuke's face became more pinched as the hours wore on, to Sakura's amusement - it seemed as if he couldn't stand small talk, even if he wasn't the one participating in it. She grew concerned, however, when his eyes started doing quick sweeps over their surroundings. Something about his posture made the hairs on her neck stand up. She shifted closer to him and lowered her voice:

"Is something wrong?"

He didn't move for a few moments, head tilting to the side like a predator.

"...there's a strange feeling in the air," he finally answered, fingers twitching towards the sword at his side. "It's gone now, though." His eyes swiveled back to prince's form, before he moved forward and tapped Naruto on the shoulder, quietly conversing with him. Naruto nodded and made his excuses to the civilian he was speaking to. Sakura fell into step behind Naruto as he turned away, signaling that they were leaving. He began to move towards the less crowded area of the village - _probably to beat the crowd_ , she thought.

They had almost reached the stables when a whistling sound erupted in the still air. Sakura spun around, knife ready, only to see Sasuke tackling Naruto to the ground, his irises bleeding scarlet. A small needle stuck out of Sasuke's hand, lodged right above where he had covered the prince's neck. Sakura barely managed to dodge the second projectile that came whistling through the air. Within the next moment, Sasuke was ripping the dart out of his hand and jumping onto the stable roof, lunging for the the two figures stationed there. Sakura immediately followed him, boosting chakra into her legs to mimic the effects of his Blessing. She swiped at one of the figures flanking Sasuke's side with her fist and quickly brought him down after Sasuke drove him back with a wide swing. One left. With superhuman speed, Sasuke brought his blade up to the assasin's throat, his chest heaving.

"Who sent you?" Sasuke's eyes narrowed as the man remained silent. Raising a leg, Sasuke swiftly nailed the man in the back, knocking him down on his face, and replaced his blade with a foot planted against the assassin's neck while twisting the man's limbs behind him. Looming above him, Sasuke repeated his question, his form vibrating with anger. The man's ripped cloak flared ominously over his body like a black octopus, its body and arms riddled with painted swirls of crimson.

"Damn…" Sasuke's sandal pressed deeper into the man's neck, and the assassin choked briefly, his chest heaving. "Almost had 'im."

"Explain." The man shifted his head and tried to spit in Sasuke's face.

"Fuck you," he wheezed, "you and everyone else. But I'll have my justice. A new dawn is coming, and the unworthy will _burn._ " A malicious grin split his face as he added, "but _you_ won't even last until then...your hands are shaking."

To her alarm, Sakura realized the man was right. Sasuke hadn't been trembling with anger - the spasms had been something else entirely. Her eyes widened. _Poison?!_ As she watched, the shivers grew in intensity before he crumpled to his knees, cursing. A moment later his head thudded ominously on the roof.

"Sasuke!"

Sakura sprinted to Sasuke's side, thoughts whirling in her head - but she had no time to contemplate them, she looked up and cursed as the assassin leapt up and drew out a gleaming katana, breathing heavily.

Cursing, she dodged a swing and tried to dart within the man's guard, only to back off again when the blade came too close to maiming her. _I have to finish this quickly._ With a grimace, she circled the figure and waited for him to close the distance before ducking and aiming a low blow at his knees. He stumbled, and she took the chance to stab her knife into his chest, his eyes widening as blood welled up from the wound. He dropped like a stone. Horror welled up from a pit in her stomach, and for a moment she couldn't breathe. The adrenaline vanished.

 _I just killed someone_.

In the back of her mind someone was screaming - she looked down at her hands and couldn't move when she saw the red droplets clinging to her hands and dripping off her knife. A cold numbness spread through her body, and a faint buzz filled her ears. _Spirits above and below I just! - I just -_ A loud wheeze broke her out of her thoughts.

 _Sasuke!_

Sakura knelt down quickly by his side and pulled out her pack, ignoring the blood that was beginning to soak into the fabric - she was sure she had a general antidote stored somewhere - but then a hand weakly gripped her wrist, and her gaze was wrenched to meet Sasuke's red eyes.

"The prince - get him out -"

"But you're injured - "

"Go...!"

The last words seemed to drain him completely as his eyes rolled back and his grip slackened. Sakura cursed. It wasn't like she could just leave Sasuke lying there! She pushed chakra through her arms and grabbed Sasuke by the torso before leaping off the rooftop, hoping that her reflexes would ensure a safe landing. Naruto had already released the horses from the stable, and one glance at Sasuke's unconscious form had him swinging into the saddle. Following his example, Sakura grit her teeth and pushed Sasuke's limp form onto the horse before taking up the saddle, strapping him in place before she slapped the horse's hindquarters, causing it to go off in a gallop. They were only a few miles off from imperial palace, thank the Spirits, but she wasn't sure if Sasuke would be able to make it in time. As if sensing her thoughts, Naruto turned to her.

"Can you heal him?"

"I - I don't know, I'd need water to draw out the poison and a flat surface…"

"Did Sasuke make the call to leave?"

"Y-yes." Naruto's face hardened at her words.

"Then we don't have time to stop. Do what you can. Hand over the reins."

Naruto drew his horse parallel to her own and gripped the reins easily. A moment later, he passed over a waterskin. Biting her lip, Sakura rummaged through her pack until her fingers closed around a vial containing crushed herbs designed to work against a variety of common poisons. She doubted it would be much use against such a fast acting toxin, but she dumped the majority of the contents into the waterskin anyway, shaking the container vigorously before adjusting Sasuke's limp form upright. His pulse was fluttery and weak.

Now came the hard part. Taking a deep breath, she pinched Sasuke's nose shut and tipped the water skin into his mouth, dribbling in less than a mouthful of liquid before clamping his jaw shut. She tilted his head back and stroked his adam's apple, willing him to swallow, and winced when the horse's movement caused Sasuke's body to jerk. He swallowed, but didn't choke or cough, which told her that he was farther gone than she had anticipated. She repeated the process until the waterskin sloshed hollowly in her hand, at that point, she rinsed the leftover liquid over the dart wound. Anything more would require a flat surface and time. She caught Naruto periodically glancing back behind them as if waiting for someone to chase after them. She tried to tell him there was no need, but the words got caught in the lump in her throat.

Sasuke's breathing remained shallow the whole trip back.

* * *

The return was a whirlwind of events for Sakura, who barely took in her surroundings. Vaguely, she heard Naruto's comforting voice, first directed towards her, then towards his parents, this time beseeching. They were talking. When did they move indoors? Sasuke, where was Sasuke? She gasped out her concern, but was immediately silenced by Naruto, desperately trying to reassure her as she lost control of her breath, until she was alright again. He helped her up, and they continued. She could only follow Naruto's bright robes, staring at the floor panels mutely. Trying to control her tremors, she clenched her hands, so tight her knuckles were probably white, white like the face of the man that had attacked them, that she had-

"No," she breathed out. Naruto's head snapped back, probably concerned, but she couldn't quite absorb it. She just shook her head at whatever it was he was saying… it sounded murky, like a blur of words that she recognized, and yet she couldn't comprehend it.

Naruto's parents were there, suddenly, and dozens of other people. The King, the Queen. The ruling family; two parents, surely worried sick about their son and that he had been in harm's way. That man- perhaps he was a father to someone, surely a son of someone else.

His mother's anger was palpable while his father's was quiet, yet she felt both intensely enough to shake her out of stupor long enough for her to hear the man from the guard tryouts speak to her- Kakashi, was it?

"- so just wait outside, alright?" he was saying. She nodded dumbly. He tried to put a hand on her shoulder, but she stiffened and immediately backed away, feeling dirty and scared and absolutely awful. Someone guided her past wood and furniture and painted scrolls, through dark corridors barely lit by candles, until they reached a doorway. She was instructed to wait; a pause, the shuffling of footsteps, and then she was alone.

She sat. Her hands grasped at the cloth of her uniform as she tried not to let the shaking in her fingers invade the rest of her body. If she let the tremors slip from her control, then she knew she would quickly break down. Her thoughts swirled incomprehensibly. She forced herself to take quick, full breaths. Then slow breaths, counting to eight, then out for ten. In and out. Her thoughts buzzed like a horde of angry flies.

How could she have been so _naive?_ Being by the prince's direct side meant she would need to protect him- _no matter the cost_. No matter the awful, gut-wrenching, bloody cost...

In her mind, she kept replaying the sickening feeling of a person crumpling beneath her own force, a wave of nausea overwhelming her as she was reminded of the fact that she had just gone against everything her Granny Tsunade had taught her, that the Head Healer had taught her, that her entire _being_ had willed. Never before had she stricken a man with the intention to, _to_ -

Fighting the urge to vomit, Sakura considered her actions as she gave a lurch. In the moment, her only thought had been to protect the Prince, and yet seeing her peer and teacher of sorts on the verge of death had shaken her more than she had thought possible. Her fingers were twitching again…

 _When her knife sank into the assassin, his entire body had convulsed, and the stench of blood had taken a new awful, violent scent, and it had been so quick and easy and when their eyes met for a split second, all she saw was utter terror reflected, and then she-_

"I, I did the right thing," she gasped out, clutching at her chest. "It's okay, I'm okay, _it's-"_

 _She couldn't breathe._

"Sakura."

At the sound of her name, Sakura froze completely, equal parts guilt and relief washing over her body. She immediately stood up, remembering her surroundings and berating herself for letting her internal conflict escaping from her mind. She looked down at her feet, tapped anxiously on the wooden panel beneath her seat twice, and looked up to the door opening of the healing room that she had been waiting beside. Was it night already? Her face was numb.

Sasuke, eyes as unreadable and dark as ever, stood over her, hardly uttering a single sound. Had he not called out to her, she would never had known he was there.

"Sasuke, I... you're awake," Sakura said as evenly as possible, pinching her leg when a tremor escaped. "I'm... " _Happy? Relieved?_ She quickly cleared her throat. "I take it that Shizune herself saw to you."

" _You_ ," he uttered, and suddenly Sakura realized that the immeasurable depths of black in his gaze were not unreadable, not at all, but darkened from the seeping anger that the Uchiha could barely keep contained within the single syllable.

She didn't know what to say. Sasuke took another small, but steady step towards her, chin high despite the obvious pain his body must be feeling. Yet his frame did not betray him.

"You _incompetent fool_ ," he hissed lowly. Sakura bristled at the insult.

"I… I neutralized the threat," She forced out. Her throat was so dry. When was the last time she'd had anything to drink? She couldn't remember. "You were dying. I had to-"

Suddenly, he was wheeling, alive with anger and rage. " _You_ had a responsibility to protect him. Preventing future attempts on his life should be your utmost priority. _You_ should have taken the assassin hostage and taken any possible amount of information from him so as to fulfill your duties, or have _taken Naruto the hell out of there_. Did you think that you, the absolute _amateur_ , could have fought off a skilled adversary? You, who did not think to immediately remove your Prince from the area of threat? _YOU,_ " he jabbed a finger at her, "who should have been _trained_ as a guard before being allowed to _accompany the Prince as one?_ "

"You would have died!" Sakura said weakly. "Naruto was fine, and I needed to help you-"

" _YOU_ are no healer. The Prince comes first- _Naruto_ comes first. The blundering idiot who took you in- _and who knows what he sees in you, because_ I _certainly do not see it-_ is the only thing that matters. He is the reason that you are even here, yet thanks to you and your obvious lack of ability to piece together a logical thought, we have no leads as to who is after Naruto, what they want from his death, where they might be located, or how we might stop them. He may lack a brain, but you evidently never had the capacity to hold one to begin with."

"You wouldn't have been safe on your own," she said, averting her eyes.

"I could have handled him on my own. There's a reason I'm here, guarding the crown prince. I am capable. You, on the other hand…"

Her throat constricted. He advanced on her silence.

" _The only thing that we have learned from this experience is that you have no place by Naruto's side_."

With that, the fire and venom his words had unleashed suddenly retreated, and with that, Sasuke turned and walked unsteadily back into the resting room.

* * *

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A/N: And so the plot begins to reveal itself! Man, Sakura just can't catch a break.

Thank you for reading. Questions? Theories? We love hearing feedback from our readers, so any comments or critique is greatly appreciated.


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